RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) – North Carolina Marine Fisheries has announced recreational striped sea bass season will not open in one part of the state this fall.
The Division of Marine Fisheries said there will be no striped sea bass fishing in the Albemarle Sound Management Area. They said the 2021 Fishery Management Plan Review showed an extremely low number of juvenile striped bass are entering the population.
State data shows Albemarle-Roanoke the striped bass stock continues to decline because of the low number of baby bass. The Division said the population is also declining because of overfishing.
The state’s updates policies allow for harvesting of 15,726 pounds of striped sea bass, evenly divided between the commercial and recreational sectors in the Albemarle Sound and Roanoke River Management Areas.
So far this year, about 35,520 pounds have been harvested from the Albemarle Sound and Roanoke River Management Area’s prior limit of 51,216 pounds.
The Division says the Marine Fisheries Commission will continue discussing striped bass management at its November business meeting.